Vehicle identification tag



April] 3&0, 135.. E. H. SIMPSON VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION TAG Filed Jan.15, 1954 FFICE earn-r VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION TAG Eugene H. Simpson,Jackson, Miss. Application January 15, 1934:, Serial No. 706,723

a '2 Claims. (01. 40-125) The present invention relates to vehicle, moreshows the details of one of the tag fastening. particularly automobile,identification tags. devices; v

A primary purpose of the invention is to fur.- Fig. 3 is a perspectiveof the preferred device nish a license or identification tag andpermaremoved from the bracket and disassembled, the

- 5 nent, lock-type fastening means therefor, whereidentifying indiciabeing omitted from the main '5 by the tag when once secured on thevehicle to and supplemental elements of the tag for sake which it hasbeen assigned may not be removed of clearness; and without so mutilatingthe tag as to render it F 4 s a V ew Similar 110 3 of a modified eitherentirely useless or sufliciently damaged to f of t e ta indicate thefact that it has already been used h 'v t s pp r r ck i r p 10 upon avehicle. With such an arrangement in sented at 5. This bracket isprovided with the general use, theft of automobiles would be mateusualbolt-receivin l t O e f wh c is S w rially reduced because of theimpossibility. of at 1 in i transferring or switching of tags from oneThe preferred m of tag s w in F s. 13

Vehicle to another, A further advantage-t0 the comprises a mainidentification element or plate 15 authorities would be the consequentelimination 8 and a supp identification element of the illegal practiceon the part of unscrupulous lat 3 is S fla in S ap a d S e 0 116 Stadautomobile owners of purchasing a single tag and ard license plat andis p d its pp using it on two or more automobiles or trucks. d w h the sl p ir f bolt-receiving Slots A further object is the designing of alicense H, Along its upper edge, main plate v8 is 20 tag device,comprising a main plate or identififormed with spaced extensions whichare bent cation element and a supplemental or auxiliary p id l a P QIOOIJS i3! p identification element, which is intended to be mentalidentification element itwhich is of reissued annually and permanentlyattached to the. Ell-lent metal, is chalnnehshallled and B ds e vehicleby special fastening means so as to pretirely across the top of the mainelement 8. The 25' vent ready removal thereof as stated above. Reuppflange M of identification element 9 P moval of the tag, as explained,is intended to jects inwar y substantially at right angles to mutilateit or at least the supplemental idenifithe main or outer face of thesupplemfinllal cationrelement thereof. This is done annually ment. Asshown in Fig. 2, flange it is slightly 30, by the owner and the old mainand supplemental bowed upwardly for a purpose explained later. elementsreplaced by new. elements which are At its inner edge, flange M isformed, similarly permanently secured in place as described. to mainplate 8, with spaced extensions which are Preferably the auxiliaryelement carries indicia bent to provide tubular portions or loops it.which are necessary with the indicia on the These loops are spaced onidentification elemain identification element to complete the idenment sso that, when the parts of the device are 35 tification of the vehicleso that both elements assembled as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, loops i6 fitmust be used together. However, this'arrangesnugly between loops it onthe main plate 8. In ment is not essentialto certain features of thethisposition the passages through all of the invention as will appearhereinafter. loops 5% and it? are aligned, so that they may re- 40Another object is to provide adequate fastenceive a connecting pin orpintle i? which is driven 40 ing means for readily securing the licensetag h u h a l Of the 100135 0011118939 the edges f firmly to itssupporting bracket and the elements the two identification elementssecurely together. of the tag together so as to eliminate all possi- Thelower flange iii of supplemental identificability of looseness andresultant rattling of the tion element a inclines downwardly andinwardly parts. Other objects include designing of the toward the mainplate 8. At its lower edge, 45 license tag and'the fastening means sothat they flange M is bent to form a smooth bead i9 bearare of simpleconstruction, cheap to. manuiacing against the main plate and adaptedfor free ture and may readily be mounted in place on the slidingmovementthereon under certain condivehicle. tions as will appearhereinafter.

In the drawing, wherein are represented'two Supplemental identificationelement, 9 is pro- 50 practical embodiments of the invention:-- videdwith a pair of bolt-receiving slots 28, 2! Fig. 1 is a-perspective ofthe preferred form of which align with the corresponding slots in thelicense tag when installed in place on the bracket 5 and slots ii, 52 inthe main plate 8. vehicle bracket; Through these two sets of slotsextends a pair of 55 Fig. 2 is a section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1,'whichlock bolt fastening devices which serve firmly to 55 sources of rattleclamp the two identification elements 8, 9 on the bracket As shown mostclearly in Fig. 2, each of these fastening devices comprises a bolt 22and tongues or detents 2'! bent inwardly from the ends of locking member23 engage with one of the annular grooves 2 3 on bolt 22 to lock the twocoupling members firmly and permanently together.

In mounting the tag in place on bracket 6, after the identificationelements 3 and 9 have been connected together by pin 5? as described,the tag is simply held in the position shown'in Fig. 2 with the two setsof bolt holes in alignment. The bolts 22 are then slipped into theopenings in bracket 5 and main plate 8 from the rear so as to supportthe tag on the bracket. .One of the locking members is then inserted inits opening in the supplemental identification element 9 from the frontand telescoped into interlocking engagement with the corresponding bolt22, as shown in Fig. 2, spring teeth 2'! yielding during this operationto permit successive engagement of the teeth with the grooves 24. Theother locking member 23 is then connected to its bolt in the samemanner.

Each of the assembled fastening devices is then forced together as faras it will go so as to bring the heads of the fasteners into tightengagement with the'bracket and the tag and thereby clamp all of theseparts firmly together. During this tightening operation, supplementalidentification element 9, which is adapted to bend inwardly'because ofits particular cross sectional form and mode of attachment to main plate8, yields to permit shortening of the telescoping fastening members andtheir resultant interlocking in this shortened condition. The tensionunder which element 9 is thus placed, it will be seen, servesautomaticallytosecure the members of the fastening devices, the bracket6, and the tag elements in tight engagement with each other and tomaintain them in such engagement irrespective of initial loose playbetween the parts or such loose play as may occur due to wear. Allpossible in the assembly due to vibration of the parts is'therebyentirely eliminated.

As appears in Fig. 1, the main plate 8 has suitably appearing thereonthe number identifying the vehicle to which the tag is applied.Preferably this number would be embossed thereon and the vehicle.

the tag and number would be of different colors pursuant to standardpractice. In the preferred system of identification of vehicles in theState or other Territory in which tags of the character proposed hereinwould be used, these numbers would run from 1 to the numbercorresponding to the combined total of pleasure and commercial vehiclesin the State. The supplemental identification element 9 in this systemwould have appearing thereon, in a similar manner, the name of theState, the year date, and a designation such as A, B, C, etc., accordingto the weight of the vehicle, if used on a passenger car, or adesignation such as A T, 1T, IE T, 2T, etc., according to the capacityof the vehicle, if used on a commercial car or truck. Hence, with thesystem described, the presence of both thev main and supplemental plates8 and 9' is necessary for proper legal identification of shanks of thelocking members 23 particularly,

insures against successful tampering with the fastening means at thispoint.

The modified form of the tag appearing in Fig. 4 is essentially the sameas the preferred form above described. The only difference is in themanner of connecting the flange M of the supplemental identificationelement 9 to the upper edge of the main plate 8. In the modificationthis is accomplished by providing a series of spaced slots 3! along theupper edge of main plate 8 into which are adapted to project, whenthetwo identification elements are assembled, v

a corresponding series of ears 32 extending from the rear edge of flangei ofidentification element 9. would be cheaper to manufacture than ifthe pintle type connection of the preferred form were employed. It willbe clear that it is intend' ed that'the modified tag is to be mounted onthe bracket 5 and fastened thereto in the same manner and by the samemeans as were described with reference to the preferred construction ofthe device.

While several practical forms of the device have been described,obviously various changes may be made in the device Without departingfrom the scope of the invention, except as the same may be limited bythe appended claims.

What is claimed is:--

1. The combination of a supporting bracket; 9. main display elementhaving certain vehicle identifyingindicia thereon; a resilient,auxiliary display element also having certain indicia thereon, saidbracket and said. display elements hav- The tag with this type ofconnection ing registering openings therein; and fastening meanscomprising separate members having adjustable pawl and ratchetconnection with each other and extending through said registeringopenings in the bracket and the display elements, to secure said partstogether, said resilient display element being held under tension by thefastening means, whereby to prevent loose play in said pawl and ratchetconnection and to maintain the bracket and said display elements in firmengagement with each other.

2. The combination of a supporting bracket; a main display elementhaving certain vehicle identifying indicia thereon; a resilient,auxiliary display element also having certain indicia thereon, saidbracket and said display elements having registering openings therein;and fastening means for securing the bracket and the display elementstogether, said means comprising separate members extending through saidregistering openings in the bracket and theelements and connectedtogether by a spring tooth on one member engaging the other member, theresilient display element being held under tension bythe fasteningmeans, whereby to prevent loose play in said connection and to maintainthe bracket and. the display elements in firm engagement with eachother.

3. The combination of a supporting bracket; a main display elementhaving certain vehicle identifying indicia thereon; a resilient,auxiliary display element extending 'across the top of the main displayelement and also having certain indicia thereon, said auxiliary elementbeing channel-shaped and connected at its upper edge to the main displayelement, the lower edge of the auxiliary element having free slidingengagement with the main display element; and fastening means connectingthe main and auxiliary display elements to the bracket.

4. The combination of claim 3 further characterized in that a series ofspaced lcop portions is provided on the upper edge of the auxiliarydisplay element and a series of similar loop portions on the upper edgeof the main display element and a connecting pin extends through both tsaid series of loops.

5. The combination of claim 3 further characterized in that theauxiliary display element which is channel-shaped is formed with spacedears along its upper edge and the main display element is provided nearits upper edge with openings corresponding to said ears and 'into whichsaid ears project,

6. The combination of a supporting bracket; a display element havingcertain indicia thereon,

one face of said element being in contact with v play between thefastening devices, the display a element and the bracket'and therebymaintain all of the parts in firm engagement with each other.

7. The combination of a main display element having certain vehicleidentifying indicia thereon; and a resilient, auxiliary display elementextending across the top of the main display element and also havingcertain indicia thereon, said auxiliary element being channel-shaped andconnected at its upper edge to the main display element, the lower edgeof the auxiliary element having free sliding engagement with the maindisplay element, and the main and auxiliary display elements beingprovided with registering openings to receive fastening means wherebysaid display elements may be connected to a supporting bracket.

' EUGENE I-I. SIMPSON.

